1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector for a sheet-like connection member such as a flexible printed circuit or cable (FPC), a flexible flat cable (FFC) and so forth. All of these cables and circuits will be generally referred to as “FPC”.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Electrical connectors for FFC are widely used in electronic devices such as mobile telephones, keyboards, hard disk drives and fax machines etc. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,580,272 and 5,695,360 disclose a conventional FPC connector. The FPC connector disclosed therein comprises a housing, a plurality of terminals received in the housing, and an actuator rotatably mounted on the housing. Each terminal has a bifurcate contact section and a solder tail soldered onto a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) which the electrical connector is mounted. One end of the FPC is inserted into an opening defined in the housing, for electrically engaging with the bifurcate contact sections of the terminals. Thus, an electrical connection is established between the PCB and the FPC. With the miniaturization of electronic system and the development of high-frequency signal transmission technology, a shell is commonly required to the FPC connector for shielding purpose in order to ensure a reliable high-frequency signal transmission within the electronic system.
When the actuator is located at an open position, where the actuator is oriented substantially perpendicular to the insulative housing, one end of the FPC is inserted into the housing with a zero insertion force (ZIF) to align the terminals of the FPC connector with the pads of the FPC. Thereafter, the actuator is rotated from the open position to a closed position, where the actuator is oriented substantially parallel to the insulative housing, whereby pressing the electrical pads of the FPC toward the terminals of the FPC connector with necessary contact pressure for establishing electrical connection. However, the conventional actuator made of plastic material is too thin and frail to undertake a counter-pressure, which is adapted to provide a necessary contact pressure between the pads of the FPC and the terminals of the FPC connector, for a long term such that an adverse deformation of the actuator is not avoided. Furthermore, the conventional actuator is not reliably latched in the closed position only by the bifurcate contact section of the terminal, whereby the actuator might easily become loose due to shocking or misoperation.
In view of the above, a new electrical connector that overcome above-mentioned disadvantages is desired.